AN EVIL SYSTEM? TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ON THE 105 CENTURY FREEWAY. Gilbert Estrada, Ph.D. University of Southern California November 17, 2011

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1 AN EVIL SYSTEM? TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ON THE 105 CENTURY FREEWAY Gilbert Estrada, Ph.D. University of Southern California November 17, 2011

2 ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING OF AIRPORTS, SEAPORTS, AND FREEWAYS,

3 LEARNING OBJECTIVES Transportation Planning Process- Freeway WHO? WHAT? WHY? What are the different agencies involved in Freeway Planning? How do these agencies reach a decision on what type of freeway, alternatives, and/or solutions should be built? Additional Points Interagency cooperation is often contentious- significant disagreement on what will fix traffic and air quality- yet FREEWAYS SOLUTIONS are moved forward Significant Environmental Considerations/Implementations largely occur after planning agencies respond to community groups, their elected officials, and agencies demanding increases in public/environmental health- as early in the process as possible

4 LEARNING OBJECTIVES Additional Points Urban Planning - at its basic principle- DEMOCRATIC PROCESS OF ELECTED OFFICIALS VOTING, i.e. 3 out of 5 votes, 4 out of 7 EIR/EIS PROCESS no guarantee comments/corrections will ever be implemented Additionally With 52,000 Lane Miles of Freeways, Highways, and Streets in Southern California, who wants to add more automotive lanes? Who wants transportation alternatives? How do we (as a society) make transportation decisions? With 50-94% Southern California air pollution/carciogenic risk link to mobile sources from 1945 to the present, why do they want to build more freeways in lieu of significantly more transit, bike lanes, maglev, and other alternatives?

5 PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAILWAY

6 LOS ANGELES FREEWAYS

7 WHY FREEWAYS? Demand by business interest L.A. Political and Business elite- heavily invested in construction, concrete, tries, rubber, and other auto/ freeway related industries Improve Traffic Save time and $$$ - due to less traffic on freeways Increased Safety more likely to die utilizing roadways than state of the art freeways Federal government paying up to 90% on Interstate Freeways State & Federal Subsidies invest $7 to $1 ratio for auto infrastructure

8 WHY FREEWAYS?

9 L.A. COUNTY FREEWAY MASTER PLAN, 1947

10 1958 MASTER PLAN OF FREEWAYS

11 Why Freeways? Contemporary Demand by business interest L.A. Political and Business elite- heavily invested in construction, concrete, tries, rubber, and other auto/ freeway related industries Improve Traffic Save time and $$$ - due to less traffic on freeways Increased Safety more likely to die utilizing roadways than state of the art freeways Federal government paying up to 90% on Interstate Freeways State & Federal Subsidies invest $7 to $1 ratio for auto infrastructure Allowing more automobiles on more lanes of freeways will clean the air

12 THE 105 CENTURY FREEWAY

13 Freeway Planning Process Political - Decision Makers Planning Departments Federal, State, County, City, Regional Other Political Offices Business Interest Other State/ Regional Agencies Community Members

14 Freeway Planning Process Political Decision Makers Federal, State, and Local Officials Planning Departments Federal, State, County, City, Regional Other Political Offices US DOT, Caltrans, COLA, LA Co., SCAG, LAX, POLA/POLB, Auto Club CA Governor, CA Assembly, City officials Other State/ Regional Offices AQMD, ARB, EPA Business Interest Walmart, Costco, Target, Port/ Goods Movement POLA, POLB, China Shipping, Special Interest Community Members Environmental Groups, Health Groups, Labor, Education

15 710 FREEWAY EXPANSION PLANNING PROCESS (BEFORE EIR PROCESS) Caltrans-Lead Agency MTA SCAG US DOT (Federal Oversight) 7 Partners during 710 Corridor EIR/EIS Gateway Cities Council of Government Port of Long Beach Port of Los Angeles I-5 Joint Powers Authority AQMD ARB Technical Advisor Committee Oversight Policy Committee Special Interest Groups: School Districts Montebello Unified School District East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice Communities for a Better Environment Coalition for Clean Air Physicians for Social Responsibility-LA Coalition for Environmental Health and Justice NRDC Labor Unions 15 Cities and Incorporated Areas East Los Angeles City of Vernon City of Commerce City of Maywood Huntington Park Bell Gardens South Gate Downey Lynwood Compton Paramount Bellflower Lakewood Signal Hill City of Long Beach Wilmington

16 105 CENTURY FREEWAY Traced back to 1940s more clearly 1958 Master Plan of Freeways Designed as the major east-west corridor to LAX (NEVER REACHES LAX) DESIGN PLAN alleviate traffic in the South L.A. area Early price tag of $75,667,000 up to $2.2 Billion

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18 CEQA AND NEPA ENTERS FREEWAY PLANNING CEQA California Environmental Quality Act NEPA National Environmental Policy Act EIR/EIS core of these policy

19 1972 LAWSUIT After years of route selection, Caltrans obtaining 25 of 27 agreements necessary to begin construction lawsuit filed Community members and team of legal and social justice groups (Center for Law in the Public Interest, NAACP, Environmental Defense Fund, Sierra Club) 1972 Lawsuit claimed Caltrans failed to comply with NEPA CEQA 5 other statues, including the 5 th & 14 th Amendments of the United States Constitution One of the first lawsuits to force significant improvement in freeway planning Regarded as one of first environmental and civil rights lawsuits in California

20 1972 LAWSUIT, Keith V. Volpe et. Al. Enforced idea that planners must comply with all laws, including the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees these rights herein Reinforced idea LAWSUITS are part of the planning process and method to Forced Caltrans to STOP constructing Freeway Could not purchase properties under planners complied with NEPA, CEQA, The Federal-Aid Highway Act, and Furthered revolutionary REPLACEMENT HOUSING PROGRAMbecause area was classified as an economically depressed area.

21 1972 LAWSUIT, Keith V. Volpe et. Al. EIS - 5 years and $4.5 million BENEFIT = the project would serve the public by accommodating an estimated 150,000 vehicles per day when opened, providing relief by diverting almost equal mounts of traffic from local streets and other segments of the freeway. By expected MPH during peak hours- 215,000 daily vehicles actual counts - 304,000 (Watts-Willbrook) The expected 215,000 daily vehicles on freeway would show a substantial improvement in air quality.

22 INCREASED PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE WATTS-WILLOWBROOK

23 TRANSPORTATION VICTORIES - By school district, community members agencies, by CA Gov. Brown, community members, planning Multiple agencies pushed for transit part of carpool & bus alternatives by Gov. Brown Brown part of carpool & bus alternatives by Gov. community backlash Caltrans implemented after years of - by community lawsuit

24 105 FREEWAY WON T WORK California Air Resources Board Deputy Executive Officer Caltrans Director, Adriana Gianturoco both believe 105 Freeway would not significantly alleviate traffic or air quality

25 Embarcadero Freeway

26 Embarcadero

27 CHEONGGYE FREEWAY - SEOUL

28 CHEONGGYE FREEWAY - SEOUL

29 ONLY BUILD APPROXIMATELY 61% OF FREEWAY PLAN (2001)

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31 Induced Traffic, Does Adding More lanes of Freeway Work

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33 REVIEW Urban Planning is a part of American Democracy Elected Officials hire Planners to assist in MOBILITY Planners take the lead in incorporating multiple planning partners (political offices, special interest groups, planning agencies, business interests) Lawsuits part of planning process EIR/EIS part of planning process EIR/EIS PROCESS no guarantee comments/corrections will ever be implemented PROCESS has changed to incorporate more participants, Freeways have been leading SOLUTION with some modifications